Aspects of the present invention relate to social networks, and more particularly to a method, system and computer program product for organizing social network messages based on temporal characteristics of the messages.
Online social networks are a universal mechanism to connect people and information in logical and organized ways which enable sharing and processing of information, between the members of the social network. Common mechanisms for sharing and processing information on online social networks may include, but is not necessarily limited to, a wall or virtual wall where users or member of the social network can post messages for other users or members; an activity stream which may be a list, of messages or posts received by a user or member and may also include a list of messages or posts sent by the user or member; a timeline that may chronologically list a series of events, and profiles of users or members that can be accessed for information about a particular user or member. These mechanisms enable users or members to rapidly share information with others and gather information from others in the network.
Studies have shown that an online social network user can maintain stable relations with about 100 to about 200 people. As users develop social networks and normalize around a stable number of relations, each message a network contact or member posts may be carefully evaluated so the most stable social networks may be maintained. The number of messages a user or member may see each day may exceed about one hundred messages a day for a low participation network, and for a high participation network the number of messages viewed, by a user may exceed about a thousand messages. Accordingly, important messages, such as messages that may require action, indicate future work, or other information of significance to the user may be lost or overlooked by the user. Therefore, a need exists for a solution which enhances the ability of the user to see important posts or messages from other users in the network.